week one | arrival

[marriagebroker]

The characters will arrive one by one, in whatever vehicle suits them the best to the front of estate. It's a beautiful estate filled with plants and trees and little ponds and all kinds of little hideaways. But it all cumulates at the main house, where they will be dropped off and greeted by a familiar face who stands outside the house and welcomes them in. They will be able to bring one suitcase with items and clothes as well as their pet(s?).

The main thing to notice when you step into the house though is that cameras are everywhere. Despite the many little hideaways of this house, there's no privacy whatsoever. Oh well!

When everyone is gathered together, the host from earlier will greet everyone with a merry:

"Welcome, my affection seeking friends! This is where you'll be staying the next few weeks. Find a place to settle in and get to know each other! I'll be around, in case you need anything."

He genuinely seems to mean it, at least?! But that seems to be it, he'll slip away in the meantime and leave you all to it.

A few things to note, of course:

• There is only one "bedroom" which is a large room, with a closet full of futons to roll out and use in said room. Sleepover time!


• There is an extra, extra, extra, extra large futon for Messmer.


• In one of the rooms of the estate, there is a lovely piano ready for use. Feel free to ask for more instruments, if you'd like.


• The kitchen is filled with food of all kinds and modern appliances so folks can cook whatever they'd like! There is also a bar in the kitchen, stocked with alcohol.


• In the living room, there is a screen showing everyone's profiles. It is touch screen, so feel free to swipe through!


• There is, of course, a banner in the living room reading 有緣千里來相會 (which, for the keen-eyed, translates to "Fate brings together those that are a thousand miles apart"). This was definitely written by the host.


• There is a welcome cake.

Boom Boom Room | Property Damage
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Voting

Comments

[poans]

[Imagine if he just walked here.

Yi Sang arrives with the clothes on his back—a simple collared shirt and trousers held up by suspenders, paired with soft slippers—and a matching set of sweatshirt and sweatpants folded neatly in his arms. After the reception, he pads over to the bedroom, deposits his change of clothes on a futon of no significance, and walks back out as if he were the only soul in the estate.

He can then be seen in the living room, where he peruses the profiles with a deadpan stare. Despite his expression, he appears to dwell on each profile before moving onto the next participant with the slow, listless flick of a wrist. At one point, he looses a quiet sigh.]

Is this where you saw my feet taking me? To yet another window of discoveries . . .

[Finally, after making his way through the kitchen for the barest of sustenance, he stands beneath a pavilion in one of the sprawling gardens. It's still light out, and the air is fresh; his gaze is not drawn to the sky or the canopy of trees, however, but the pond below. He maintains this position for a staggeringly long amount of time, deep as he is in his ruminations.]

gardens

[reverso]

[And here comes Verso, who was pulling away from the group temporarily for his own dose of outdoors reflection — easy for him to fall into the habit, after all, and the grounds around the estate are perfectly suited for it.

But someone's beat him to it, and he pauses in his step up the pavillion, becoming starkly aware of his interruption.]

Oh. Pardon. I didn't think anyone else was out this way.

[poans]

[He blinks as the illusion is shattered, and turns around to watch Verso over his shoulder.]

Have you come to reflect? [Recognition dawns when their eyes meet for a second.] Or is it an expedition you seek?

[reverso]

[For some reason, that question stills him more than it should, and Verso frowns, his features shadowed with uncertainty-

Before he realizes that the man must be referring to his profile. Disaster Expeditioner. Right.]

Ah... no Expeditioners here, other than myself. [ ... ] Just wanted to clear my head. Want me to leave?

profiles bc feet mention

[gamboler]

[ Now there's a put-upon soul if he's ever seen one. Aventurine has been keeping a somewhat wary, somewhat curious eye on Yi Sang since his arrival, but as he seems to be addressing no one in particular, it seems like a good enough time to make introductions. ]

My friend, are you speaking to anyone in particular? Or should I pretend I didn't hear you reflecting aloud?

[ Said with just enough cheek to be kindly teasing. ]

this one's got your name on it

[poans]

["Friend"?

Yi Sang is slow to react, if only because of the familiarity. He gives Aventurine a slantwise glance.]

A reflection without a mirror is hardly ideal. Rather than the trick of the light, I suppose the juxtaposition between person and window demands attention.

(grimacing) thank u...

[gamboler]

[


Okay, so he's one of those types, noted. ]

Alright, you've piqued my interest. What would you consider a window in this scenario?

[ Or is he just bullshitting? It's hard to say just yet. ]

bedroom

[crimsin]

[ He's coming out of the bedroom just as Nico is coming in, and unfortunately running into the vampire sort of feels like walking into a brick wall.

An extremely apologetic brick wall. ]

Ah! Oh goodness, are you okay? I did not hurt you, did I? I am so sorry!

[poans]

Ah.

[Yi Sang isn't a terribly weak man. He is, however, far from the toughest of the bunch, and bounces back a few steps from the collision without so much as a blink.]

Apologies . . . Pay it no mind. I do not feel pain.

[crimsin]

[ Nico does reach out a hand to steady him, gloved fingers hovering near his shoulder just in case. ]

Wait, truly? That is no good! How do you know when you have been hurt, then?

gardens

[embellwish]

[ Unsurprisingly, Yingying spends a lot of time out here in the gardens — if it weren't obvious by her floral attire, and the wisteria ornaments in her hair, she's fond of flowers. Imagine her surprise when she's trying to get a look at what kind of exotic blooms are here (aside from her tree), and ends up watching this man stare at the pond for so long.

Well, it won't hurt to say hello. ]

Oh my. I thought you were a statue, you were standing still for so long!

[ She jokes, approaching and looking at the pond herself, like she's going to figure out what it is he's looking at. Just seems like a pond...?? ]

[poans]

[Another face, distorted yet true, appears on the water's surface. Yi Sang tears his gaze away from it to take in Yingying's profile through his periphery, pausing on her bare feet as he does.]

Is it customary for gardens like this to house someone's likeness in such a fashion?

thanks for mentioning feet in your first tag to me in this game jae

[embellwish]

Hm?

[ She blinks, puzzled. Then, her gaze flicks between him and the water, eventually settling back up at him. ]

Are you talking about your reflection?

[nrangel]

[ Oooookay. Looks like they have a Mr. Serious here. Serpilia will try to play nice though as she finds him really in depth studying those profiles, leaning in to get a closer look at the screen, and see who he is currently pondering over. ]

See any cuties that catch your eye yet?

[ He's gotta be staring at everyone's picture the whole time, right? There's barely any information written on these things, so that's the only explanation for why he's taking so long to look at them. ]

[poans]

[He is, in fact, devoting a good amount of time on everyone's likenesses. It's easier and less burdensome than holding eye contact to memorize the lines and angles and colors that make a person. Indeed, when it comes to the woman herself, Yi Sang's gaze drifts downward to the protrusions at her back rather than her face.

The screen rests on Rom's visage, who's momentarily forgotten.]

If you speak of resplendence . . . could those be wings on your back?

[nrangel]

[ Poor Rom, forgotten for a moment for wings. Though Serpilia's are a touch different than your typical angel wings in most media. Instead of being made of anything tangible like blood, bones and feathers, they seem to be more of a band of pink strangely solid looking light that scatters across at her lower back in a random pattern.

Visually interesting, though a lot less pettable than a nice bird wing would be. ]

This light show you mean? Close enough, but I sure won't be flying with them any time soon.

bedroom

[hexensabbat]

[Wow.

In and out.

Efficient. She's impressed.

But after a moment, she chases after him, of course.]

Hey, wait a second!

[poans]

[She doesn't have long to chase. When called, he stops and turns halfheartedly in her direction.]

Is aught the matter?

[hexensabbat]

[... Yikes, this guy looks rough.]

Yeah! You didn't even say hi. Shouldn't we be getting to know each other?

gardens

[scooptimistic]

[ Well. No one is better at ruining a rumination than a journalist, who at least walks with confident steps so if he wasn't so lost in thought, maybe he could hear her coming. As it stands, she doesn't speak up until she's standing right beside him. ]

If you were thinking about swimming in that, there are probably better options.

[poans]

[Dimly, he hears her approach. What he doesn't expect is for her to talk to him. His gaze flits to her before his eyes slide shut.]

Immersing oneself in the water will disrupts its surface. No, I shall stand here as I have done while the day fades.

[irreversal]

[ What if they stood there together and stared, him at the pond and her at the sky...

... ... ...

Actually, this is pretty nice? Maybe? ]

[poans]

[What if they emulated Francesca and John from Bridgerton?

It's very nice, actually . . . until a petal falls from a tree in a languid dance and makes a soft landing on the water, causing its surface to ripple out. Yi Sang sighs through his nose.]

Thus, in silence, it fades . . .

gardens

[phenomerom]

[ He actually walks by without comment the first time, figuring the guy's taking a moment to, like, gather his thoughts or something. But when he comes back and the guy's still there, in the same position, he can't help being curious. Here comes the rustle of footsteps as he ambles closer, leaning over to also peer into the pond for a moment before piping up cheerfully: ]

Have you spotted any lingering ghosts just waiting to haunt us from those depths?

[poans]

[Yi Sang straightens, pulled out of his ruminations by the question. He doesn't yet give Rom a glance, as if to impress his attention to the query by studying the pond's surface.]

I am unworldly in matters paranormal. Do apparitions of the deceased oft lurk in bodies of water?